


Keep On Living

by LJ106



Category: Ghostbusters (2016)
Genre: Disability, Disabled Character, F/F, Physical Disability
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-14
Updated: 2016-09-04
Packaged: 2018-08-08 16:41:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 10,508
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7765327
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LJ106/pseuds/LJ106
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Five years after the events of the movie, Jillian Holtzmann is no longer a Ghostbuster. A tragic event altered her life, but she chooses to live life differently and to the fullest. She ends up being torn between two women.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter I

Chapter I

 

Dr. Jillian Holtzmann was in her office preparing lectures for undergraduate engineering courses. The fall semester was about to start and she had been busy getting ready. She enjoyed teaching even thought it wasn't always easy. Though she still missed her life as a Ghostbuster. Four years earlier, a car accident during a vacation changed everything. Her neck was broken and she was a C4 quadriplegic meaning she was paralyzed from the shoulders down. Things were tough for her emotionally during the transition from Cedars-Sinai ICU to the Shepherd Center in Atlanta. She learned how to accept her severe disability and how to use various technological gadgets which she helped improve and she learned how to use a sip and puff wheelchair. The sip and puff wheelchair used a straw control system in which she sipped and puffed into the straw controls to move the chair.  Her fellow Ghostbusters, friends, and fans lent her various forms of support.  Two years earlier, she began teaching undergraduate engineering courses at Columbia. There were mixed feelings when she joined the faculty, but in time she won over students and colleagues with her humor and positive attitude. Academia became her new life and over time she had less contact with Erin Gilbert, Patty Tolan, and Abby Yates. She also used her intelligence and engineering knowledge to help design products for people with disabilities. They were continuing their Ghostbusting careers.

 

As Jillian finished up her first week lecture plans. She heard the sound of the front door to her three bedroom apartment open. She heard the voice of her live in girlfriend Jennifer Lynch greeting one of her caregivers. She smiled and then using the sip and puff controls wheeled herself into the living room. Jennifer was there in a black business suit, she was now deputy mayor of New York.

 

The tall brunette smiled and said, "Hello love, how was your day?"

Holtzmann smiled and said, "It was a bit boring trying to figure out my course lectures for the first week. I had some fun this morning talking with Rebecca Gorin over her new projects. I've been waiting all day to see your lovely face."

Jennifer smiled back and responded, "I ran into your old colleagues today. They got rid of some ghosts that were lingering in a basement at one of the NYPD precincts. They asked about you and I told them the usual. I was thinking that maybe we could invite them over for dinner sometime soon."

Holtzmann was both happy and sad to hear about the Ghostbusters. She still cared about them deeply, however, she no longer felt a part of that group since she couldn't go out into the field with them. Sometimes she enjoyed not seeing them a lot.

"Well, I guess a small dinner party wouldn't hurt as long we don't serve wantoon to Abby." Holtzmann said.

"I'll be meeting with them later this week. How about we invite them over for the Saturday night of Labor Day weekend?' Jennifer asked as she put her hand on Holtzmann's cheek.

"That will be fine." The blonde said.

Jennifer then went into the kitchen to get something to drink. Holtzmann closed her eyes for a moment and had brief flashbacks of the fun times she and her friends had fighting the paranormal. She then opened her eyes and glanced down towards her paralyzed body. Her arms and hands were placed in special arm rests. Her hands had a bit of waxy look due to the paralysis. Her feet rested on a specialized foot rest and seatbelt was across her waist for protection. Even though she did her best to be positive, a part of her hated that she was no longer an able bodied engineer and Ghostbuster.

Her brunette girlfriend returned to living room with glass of water with a straw. Holtzmann sipped from the glass for awhile. Then Jennifer sat gently on her lap, she felt lucky that after the accident, Jennifer stayed in the picture.


	2. Chapter II

Chapter II

 

Several hours later, Holtzmann was in her bed reading some files on her laptop which was placed on an overbed table. She had to sleep in a hospital bed with a special mattress that helped prevent bed sores. Next to the bed was the hoyer lift that was used to get her into bed from her wheelchair. Jennifer came into the bedroom with water in a glass and a paper cup that contained several medications Holtzmann had to take those before going to sleep each night. She held out her tongue as Jennifer placed each pill on her tongue and gave her water each time to swallow. The medication rotinue was followed by Jennifer brushing Holtzmann's teeth with an electric toothbrush. Then Jennifer did a final check of Holtzmann's catheter and she made sure the night diaper was secure. That part of the care process still embarrassed Holtzmann and she hated being so helpless there. 

Jennifer said, "I know you like staying up on Friday nights reading to me. But, I had a long day at work, so I'm going to sleep now. Don't stay up too late Jillian."

"I'll try to go to sleep at midnight." Holtzmann teased.

The brunette then kissed her on the mouth and the climbed into her bed which was next to Holtzmann's. Holtzmann watched as Jennifer fell asleep. She then read on her laptop until she felt herself tiring. She used the voice commands to turn off the laptop and then used the specialized room system to turn off the lights in the room. She didn't fall asleep right away. She thought about various things, like the fall semester starting on Monday, Jennifer's projects as deputy mayor of the city, and then things about her past.

She thought back to the last ghost bust she and her old crew did.

 

_The Ghostbusters were in a Italian pizzeria in Brookyln. They had been dispatched by the new owners who had been previously told that the pizzeria was haunted by the spirits of two young lovers who had been killed there in the 1950s. They didn't believe it, until they saw the ghosts. The crew managed to capture both ghosts. Abby and Patty were talking with the owners. While Holtzman and Erin were taking their gear back to the Ecto-1._

_"Well, that was an easy capture today. We got them together and since they died together, they should remain together in containment." Holtzmann said._

_"I admit that I'm jealous of the ghost lovers. They have each other. I hate my love life so much. Things didn't work out with Kevin and last week's blind date with that physics professor from NYU was a disaster. Ghosts have better love life than me." Erin whined._

_"Oh, don't beat yourself up Erin. It's like that song You Can't Hurry Love. An intelligent woman like yourself shouldn't be hurrying for love." The blonde said, while getting into the driver's seat. Erin took the shotgun seat._

_Erin put some of her hair behind her ear and said, "I know I shouldn't hurry anything. It would be nice to have to someone at home each night. A face and smile to see when I go in. It looks like you and Jennifer Lynch for the mayor's office are getting serious."_

_"We have only been dating five months. Who knows if we will be together by the end of the summer?" Holtzmann said._

_"You two are going away to the Hamptons so that should be a good sign."_

_"The Hamptons was Jennifer's idea. I'll confess that I don't want to be around Jennifer's snotty family for the next week. But it's important for Jennifer."  
_

_A few minutes later Abby and Patty climbed into the backseat and they headed to the firehouse. They went over the ghost bust and then each parted ways for the weekend. Patty and Erin were going to be on call for services. Abby was taking the weekend off to do some work on her apartment and that night Holtzmann and Jennifer drove to the Hamptons, but a few days later things changed drastically for Holtzmann._

Signs of morning crept into Holtzmann's bedroom. Sun was coming in through the cracks of the window blinds. She glanced towards Jennifer's bed and it was empty. Jennifer wasn't in the master bathroom. It was minutes later when Holtzmann heard Jennifer's voice talking into a phone. She could make out some of the conversation which was about City Hall and NYPD. 

Then Jennifer came into the room, "Sweetheart, I have to head down to City Hall. Two NYPD officers were shot last night and I have to be there to issue out press statements. I know this puts a damper in our weekend. But, I'll make up to you tomorrow. We can go to Central Park for a picnic."

"It's ok Jennifer. You have a job to do for this city." Holtzmann replied thoughtfully.

"Ok. I called Quinn to come in and help you. Are you sure you will be ok?" Jennifer asked.

"I'll be fine."

Thirty minutes later, Jennifer was dressed up in another business suit. She cut some fruit and fed it to Holtzmann and then the caregiver Quinn Simmons arrived. Quinn was one of three caregivers who worked for Holtzmann. She was a graduate student studying neurosciences at Columbia. She took the caregiver job for Holtzmann because some of her studies involved spinal cord injury and Holtzmann being a spinal cord injury patient was happy to assist Quinn with various questions. Holtzmann had some hope that spinal cord injuries could possibly be cured someday.

Quinn happily greeted the couple and asked Jennifer if there were any specific instructions for the day. She was told it was going to be usual routine of getting Holtzmann showered and dressed and in her wheelchair. Jennifer kissed Holtzmann before heading out the door.

The morning rotinue started. Quinn got Holtzmann out of bed with the lift and into her shower chair. In the roll in shower, she bathed Holtzmann and then got her out. She dried her off and then dressed her in the bedroom and got her into the wheelchair.

Holtzmann and Quinn talked about various scienitific topics.

At lunch time, Quinn and Holtzmann were chatting and then Quinn said, "I ran into a fan of yours the other day."

"A fan?" Holtzmann questioned.

"One of my friend's daughters said she met you years ago at her school. You and the Ghosbusters got ghosts out that were frighetning the kids." Quinn said.

Holtzmann immeadiately remembered the incident. A Catholic elementary school was plagued with the ghosts of nuns. Some of the ghosts were quite harsh to the children. When the Ghostbusters captured the ghosts. The children of the school praised the crew. Holtzmann loved the questions and the attention of the children about how she designed the weapons that fought the ghosts.

She smiled at Quinn and said, "Oh, yes I remember that event. Those ghost nuns were hideous and I remember the smiles of relief on those kids' faces."

"Do you miss it?"

Holtzmann winced and said, "I do all the time. I miss having that kind of fun. The missing driving around the Ecto-1 and helping people getting rid of awful ghosts."

She looked at Quinn and said, "That was another life."

"I'm sorry I shouldn't have mentioned anything."

"It's ok Quinn. Eventually ghostbusting would have ended later on when I go too old to be lugging around proton packs. Things are ok for me here. I get to teach and inspire many and I get to help you a bit with spinal cord injury research. I just need to focus on the positive things." Holtzmann said.

* * *

 

It was almost 7 pm when Jennifer arrived home. She paid Quinn in cash for staying with Jillian for the day. She brought home Chinese takeout and it was around 7:30 pm when she started to feed Holtzmann and herself dinner.

In between bites, Holtzmann told Jennifer about her day. Jennifer in turn told her about the chaos at City Hall dealing with various journalists and the NYPD chief. After they finished up dinner, there were planning to watch a movie and then Jennifer's phone rang. Again it was work and Jillian spent the next thirty minutes hearing Jennifer dealing with city government issues. Sometimes she hated that Jennifer's work interrupted their time together. There wasn't much she could do in the matter, her girlfriend's career had advanced and she had pride in her.

Jennifer finally got off the phone and said, "I'm sorry Jillian. I hate being an awful girlfriend."

"I've said it before. It's ok, it's your job and you do a damn good job as deputy mayor." Holtzmann said.

The brunette put her hand on the blonde's cheek and said, "Thank you for being so understanding. Like I said, tomorrow we will have a picnic in the park and I will try to make the day for just us two. No work. You are starting the fall semester on Monday and you deserve a day to relax."

* * *

The following day, Holtzmann and Jennifer were in Central Park. They were at a picnic table watching various interactions in the park and eating some of the food Jennifer prepared. It was halfway through lunch when Holtzmann heard a voice that said, "A rare sighting of former Ghostbuster Jillian Holtzmann". 

She turned her chair and saw Erin Gilbert walking towards her. Erin's brown hair was tied in a ponytail. She wore jeans, sneakers, and a MIT t-shirt. It had been a year since Holtzmann last saw her.

"It's good to see you too Erin." Holtzmann replied.

Erin walked closer to the table. She saw the picnic basket and food on the table and said, "Was I interrupting a romantic event ?"

"Oh no it's ok. It's good to see you again Erin." Jennifer responded immediately.

"Likewise" Erin said.

Jennifer then motioned with her hand and said, "Why don't you join us? We have plenty of food."

"I don't want to intrude"

"It's fine Erin. You are one of Jillian's dearest friends." Jennifer said.

Holtzmann winked at Erin and said, "Come on, old buddy we can catch up."

Erin then took a seat at the table. Erin and Jillian chatted away about what was going on in their lives. Later on, Jennifer's phone rang.

Holtzmann looked towards and her said, "Is it work?"

Jennifer nodded and said, "I'm sorry about this."

"Don't worry." Holtzmann replied.

Jennifer got up from the table and walked away to talk on the phone to her colleague.

Holtzmann looked at Erin and said, "Some of the perks of being the girlfriend of the deputy mayor. Constant interruptions."

Erin said, "You don't seem too happy."

"I understand that she has a hectic job. I just wish sometimes things were at slower pace for her and me. I know that's selfish, it can get hard when you are trying to have a good time with your partner and she gets pulled away. I shouldn't really talk because when I was a Ghostbuster things were hectic and fast paced. Anyway, how are Abby and Patty doing?"

"We are all doing fine. We get calls almost daily and we do speaking gigs at paranormal conferences. People always ask us about you at those conferences."

Holtzmann arched her eyebrow and said, "Really?"

"Don't be silly. You were a Ghostbuster and your inventions have enormously aided paranormal research and hunting. Of course, people are still curious about Dr. Jillian Holtzmann. You should speak at some these events." Erin said.

"I'm not sure about speaking at huge conferences. That life is over for me. I don't want to deal with the looks of pity from people towards the former Ghostbuster." Holtzmann said looking down.

"Hey, don't put yourself down. People in the paranormal research world still love you and want you to be a part of that world." Erin said.

The blonde looked at Erin with a slight smile and said, "I  know and I miss it. I'm trying to focus on new goals. Teaching and helping invent products for disabled people are my life now. Also, maybe at some point I will get brave enough to ask Jennifer to marry me."

Erin laughed and said, "You a married woman? That would be fun to see.

"We are pretty much living like a married couple. We eat breakfast together most mornings and if work doesn't get in our way we spend evenings together. It's just that I'm not sure if I want to take it to the next step. Maybe if Jennifer's career gets to a slower pace, I'll pop the question." Holtzmann said.

Erin smiled, but inside she was hurt. She had a crush on Holtzmann for a long time. But Holtzmann and Jennifer started dating and then the accident happened. For awhile, Erin wondered if Jennifer would leave Holtzmann and she felt guility for hoping that it would happen. But it never did. The couple moved in together after Holtzmann completed spinal cord injury rehab in Atlanta. Erin was jealous that Jennifer got to move in with the wacky blonde enigineer. Then in time, Holtzmann slowly drifted away from Erin, Abby, and Patty. The Ghostbusters figured that their former colleague needed to make a new life seperate  from them. It hurt Erin that things turned out that way.

She continued chatting with Holtzmann before Jennifer returned to the table.

Erin said, "I better get going."

Holtzmann said, "You should come by and visit me at my office at Columbia. I'm teaching Mondays, Wednesdays, and Friday in the mornings."

"Sure. If we get some downtime at the firehouse, we'll go over." Erin said.

She then got close to Holtzmann and kissed her on the forehead. She really wished that she could kiss the blonde on the lips.

"It was good seeing you two." She said to the couple.

Jennifer replied, "Thank you for keeping Jillian company, while I was dealing with work business."

"It's no problem. It was good catching up with a friend." Erin said.

Holtzmann said, "Have a good Sunday evening Erin. Hopefully, ghosts won't interrupt that."

Erin say bye and then walked away. She glanced back at the couple and again was jealous as she saw Jennifer kissing Holtzmann on the lips.

 

 


	3. Chapter III

Chapter III

 

The next day Holtzmann was in her classroom at Columbia awaiting her first students of the new semester. She was with her assistants Olivia and Greg. Shortly before class started, the iPhone she kept on her desk rang. Using a long stylus held in her mouth she checked her phone and it was from Jennifer. The text message read, _"I hope you have a good first day of the semester. I'll be heading to your office later for lunch."_ She smiled at the text and had Olivia remove the long stylus from her mouth.

 

A few minutes later she started her introduction to the class.

 

"Welcome students to Introduction to Nuclear Engineering. I'm Dr. Jillian Holtzmann and yes I am the former Ghostbuster. Please don't let my severe disability startle any of you. Trust me, you will be glad that I can't raise my hand and point to any of you during class." Holtzmann said in a teasing manner.

There were some laughs from the students. She then proceeded to tell them about what the course would entail and her grading system. She lectured them on some basic introduction topics for the rest of the course. After class she met with the head of the engineering department and then went to her office with Olivia and Greg. She went over additional details for the Intro to Nuclear Engineering course.

Then it was noon when Jennifer arrived with sandwiches and soups from one of Holtzmann's favorite delis. Greg and Olivia left to each lunch on their own leaving the couple by themselves.

"How was the first class?" Jennifer asked as she unwrapped one of the sandwiches.

"It was kind of boring as usual going over the intro material. I didn't have any students afterwards ask me to a share a Ghostbuster story. I kind of liked that." Holtzmann said.

"Did seeing Erin Gilbert yesterday bring up pain for you?" Jennifer asked.

"In a way it did. I miss ghostbusting. Sometimes I like just living in the present with my current teaching job and you. The times when no one mentions Ghosbusting, it keeps I'm feeling positive on the present"  Holtzmann said.

"Well, you always be my favorite Ghostbuster. I will never forget when you captured those ghosts that haunted my old apartment." The brunette said as she put her hand under Holtzmann's chin.

"It was my pleasure doing that and I remember how you crushing on me. At the time I thought that you were straight. I was happy when you asked me on a date." The blonde teased.

"I feared that coming out of the closet would ruin my career. But, when I took the bold step, Mayor Bradley and others supported me." Jennifer said.

Holtzmann then said, "I'm glad that you have all that support. I sometimes worry that I might be holding you back in your career."

"Why would you say that?"

Holtzmann looked down at her paralyzed hands and said, "I'm severely disabled and people might think that I'm on a burden on you."

"You're not a burden. We will work things out as they go. It's my job that I fear hurts us. " Jennifer said.

The couple chatted for awhile before Jennifer headed back to work. Holtzmann finished up lesson plans for her other classes and then was driven home by Olivia and when she arrived home one of the caregivers/housekeepers Tina mentioned that Erin had called and left a message. Holtzmann had her play the message in which Erin said that Patty and Abby wanted her join them at a presentation for the kids at the firehouse on Friday. She was a bit annoyed as the day she had told Erin she didn't want to speak much about her past as a Ghostbuster. She thought about the situation for awhile and then decided to go. She used her voice controlled phone system to call the firehouse. Patty answered and called her Holtzy which put a smile on the blonde's face. She said she would go to the presentation on Friday.


	4. Chapter IV

Keep On Living Chapter IV

Friday came Holtzman awoke and saw that Jennifer’s bed was empty. She thought about the day ahead. She had a mid-morning class to teach and then she would head out to the firehouse. As expected, a mix of emotions came onto the blonde, she was nervous about doing the presentation at the firehouse and reuniting with her former colleagues. A part of her was excited to also see Abby and Patty again.

Jennifer came into the room already showered and dressed. She walked over to Holtzmann’s bed side and put her hand on the blonde’s cheek.

“Are you nervous for today?” Jennifer asked.

Holtzmann gave a simple nod.

“I’m talking the afternoon off since I worked some overtime last weekend. I figured I could go with you to the firehouse instead of Olivia.”

“You don’t need to go Jennifer. I know that you probably have a lot to do at City Hall.” Holtzmann protested.

“Jillian, I was able to take care of many things this week. You deserve a supporting girlfriend. I know it’s going to difficult today and I just want to be there for you. I do feel that I owe you.” Jennifer said as she stroked the blonde’s face again.

“Well, ok.” Holtzmann said.

Tina then came in and got Holtzmann ready for the day. At Columbia, Holtzmann’s mid morning class went by quickly. At noon, Jennifer arrived in a van to pick up Holtzmann. During the drive, Holtzmann closed her eyes and thought back to her days of Ghostbusting. She remembered the crazy antics that came along with her inventions of weapons. She remembered the clashes that went on with her fellow Ghostbusters and the good times.

Jennifer pulled the van onto the curb next to the firehouse. Holtzmann saw the garage open and she saw Kevin next the second Ecto-1. He was jotting down some notes.

In the van, Jennifer undid the straps that secured Holtzmann’s wheelchair to the van floor and after than Jennifer activated the ramp and Holtzmann came down it. The firehouse had not really changed except for a new coat of paint in some parts.

Kevin approached the couple and said, “It’s so good to see you two here.”

Holtzmann smiled and said, “It’s good to see that you are somehow still employed here Kevin.”

“Eh, as long as Erin crushes on me. I’ll still have a job.”

He went over and held the door open for Jennifer and Holtzmann.

“Hey, there Holtzy. I’m so glad you are back in the house.” Patty said as she walking from the front desk.

“Patty, long time no see. I see the second Ecto-1 is in good shape.” Holtzmann said.

“We’ve been lucky that we haven’t lost another car to the other side.”

Patty got close to Holtzmann and bent down and gave her a gentle hug.

Abby followed behind Patty and greeted and hugged Holtzmann.

“We’ve missed you so much here.” Abby said.

Holtzmann said, “I’ve missed this place too. So where is Erin.”

“She’s out picking up lunch for all of us before the presentation” Patty responded.

Abby showed Holtzmann and Jennifer the new weapons the team had put together. Twinges of pain were inside Holtzmann.

Twenty minutes later, Erin came in with bags of Chinese food. Her heart started to beat faster as she saw her crush. She greeted Holtzmann and Jennifer.

The group sat down to eat and Jennifer started to help her girlfriend eat. Erin stared a bit at Jennifer slowly feeding Holtzmann. She had curious of how Jennifer dealt with having to constantly help her girlfriend. She remembered to the days after Holtzmann’s accident, when doctors told friends and family about how severely disabled she would be. Erin remembered Jennifer being on the phone with numerous contacts at social service and health organizations trying to figure out things for Holtzmann.

Jennifer eventually noticed that Erin was staring at her feeding Holtzmann. She was annoyed with Erin’s staring and gave her a look. Erin got embarrassed and looked away and started eating her lunch.

An hour later, kids accompanied by teachers and parent volunteers started filing into the firehouse. There were curious stares at Holtzmann by the kids. She noticed it, but didn’t mind. Jennifer was still at her side with her hand on one of her shoulders.

Erin started the presentation:

“Welcome all to the Ghostbusters headquarters. I’m Dr. Erin Gilbert and with me today are my colleagues Patty Tolan and Dr. Abby Yates and my former colleague Dr. Jillian Holtzmann. We will be talking about how we fight ghosts and use science to do it.”

Abby then used a smart board to do a quick presentation of the involvement of she and Erin in the paranormal and how Jillian and Patty got involved. After the presentation ended, a girl around 11-years-old raised her hand.

Erin smiled at the girl and pointed at her, “Yes, sweetie do you have a question?”

The girl said, “Yes, why isn’t Dr. Holtzmann a Ghostbuster anymore?”

Holtzmann maneuvered her wheelchair and said, “I was injured in a car accident four years ago. My neck was broken and I’m paralyzed from the shoulders down. I teach nuclear engineering courses at Columbia. Maybe one day I will be teaching some of you kids and you could learn what you need to bust ghosts.”

Smiles formed on the kids’ faces and other kids raised their hands asking various questions about scientific subjects. The question and answer portion went on for a couple of hours, before Patty led them on a tour of the firehouse and showed them the Ecto-1 in the garage.

Some parents went over and talked to Holtzmann with Jennifer by her side. Erin saw and of course was jealous that Jennifer was the girlfriend and partner. Abby saw the jealous look on Erin’s face and pulled her aside.

“You still have your crush on Jillian right.” Abby said as she put her hand on Erin’s shoulder.

“I would be lying if I said didn’t. I regret not saying anything years ago before everything changed in her life. It’s tough seeing that she made a life away from us. I know she can’t ever be a Ghostbuster again. I just wish she would help us develop new weapons and techniques.” Erin said.

“Ask her.” Abby said.

Erin regained her composure and calmed down mentally and went over to Holtzmann.

“I’ve been wondering if you would do like to some consult work for us. Sometimes our ideas don’t always work and your engineering knowledge is impeccable. Come on Holtzmann we need you. We could work around your teaching schedule.”

The blonde stayed silent and looked towards Jennifer. Seeing that made Erin a bit upset because she started to imagine Jennifer telling Holtzmann not to do it.

Jennifer smiled and said, “You should do the consulting work Jillian. You are a very intelligent woman and your friends here obviously love you.”

Holtzmann said, “Sure, I’ll do it. How about I come in on Tuesday and Wednesday nights.”

“That will be great.” Erin said.


	5. Chapter V

Keep Living On Chapter V

Three weeks had passed since the presentation at the firehouse. Holtzmann was making regular visits to the firehouse to do consult work. Most of the time her care attendants like Olivia and Tina accompanied her. Erin, Patty, and Abby would sometimes aid Holtzmann with her computer and other devices. The three Ghostbusters loved having her around. They loved her jokes and the advice she gave them.

One day before leaving the firehouse Holtzmann talked with Erin about an upcoming work trip Jennifer was taking.

Erin asked, “So, your usual care attendants will be staying with you overnight?’

“Yep. Sometimes my colleague Beth Hampton from Columbia stays with me so the care attendants don’t get overworked in Jennifer’s absence.” Holzmann said.

Intrigued, Erin asked, “Is Beth trained in caregiving?”

“She has the basic knowledge and she knows how to operate my lift and how to get me cleaned up in the morning. It’s not that hard for many people to learn.” Holtzmann said.

“Do you think I could learn?” Erin inquired.

“You sure could. An intelligent woman like you. If you want to just come by my place for a few days and observe the caretakers.” Holtzmann said.

Erin after several minutes of silence agreed to.

* * *

 

Two weeks later, Erin was entering Holtzmann’s apartment building carrying a suitcase and briefcase that contained her laptop.

She knocked on the apartment and was greeted by Jennifer who was wearing a dark blue pantsuit.

Holtzmann was in her wheelchair dressed in sweets and and old t-shirt.

Jennifer said to Erin, “I have list of emergency contacts on the fridge and there are some pamphlets regarding spinal cord injury health issues in the kitchen drawer”

The blonde piped up and said, “Jennifer, you don’t need to worry. Erin is very intelligent woman and I’m in good hands.”

“I know. It’s just that this is Erin’s first time being with you for overnights.” Jennifer said.

“We’ll be fine” Holtzmann said.

Jennifer just nodded and then kissed her girlfriend on the mouth.

Envy boiled up in Erin.

Jennifer headed out the door with her suitcases and said,”Please,Erin don’t hesitate to call if something happens.”

“I will.”

Jennifer headed out the door.

A few hours later, Erin was heating up a pre-made casserole for dinner. Holtzmann was in her office grading papers and working on lectures.

At dinner time, Erin was a bit nervous as she had to feed Holtzmann. She even spilled some casserole on Holtzmann’s shirt and apologized.

“Don’t worry. It’s happened with others even Jennifer.” Holtzmann.

“She must be a strong woman to stick by your side.” Erin said.

“Jennifer does her best and she is strong most of the time. I’ve seen things take their toll on her. I remember in the hospital and at rehab she had her moments of breaking down.” Holtzmann said.

“Yes, I remember when the accident happened and you were in the hospital.”

Erin then briefly thought back to that time.

_It had been a week since the accident that paralyzed Holtzmann. The injured blonde was still in ICU. Erin, Patty, and Abby visited when they could and they all understood that Holtzmann’s parents, relatives, and Jennifer had some precedence._

_One day Erin was outside Holtzmann’s hospital room when she heard crying. She glanced in through a crack at the door. The injured blonde was in bed and she had a halo brace on to stabilize her broken neck and she had a tracheotomy in her throat that was connected to a ventilator to help with breathing._

_Jennifer was saying, “Please don’t choose to die.”_

_In the bed, Holtzmann was mouthing, “I can’t live like this. I’ll be a burden and I don’t everyone else to suffer because of this.”_

_With tears in her eyes Jennifer responded, “You survived the accident for a reason”_   
_Holtzmann didn’t say anything. Erin watched through the crack as Jennifer broke down very hard in a chair by her bedside._

In the present time, Erin was still thinking about that incident and she then noticed the round scar in front of Holtzmann’s throat. It was the tracheotomy scar from the time period when Holtzmann was on a ventilator. She also remembered that the times in the hospital when Holtzmann said she wanted to die and at one point called in a lawyer. Eventually, she decided to start living again. 

After dinner, Erin and Holtzmann went into the living room to watch a couple of old movies, one which was Ghost. They both cracked up at the pottery scenes. Then it came bed time.

Erin made sure Holtzmann’s medical needs were taken care of and got her into bed with the lift and changed her into sleep clothes.

“Good night Holtz.” Erin said.

“Good night to you and than you for staying with me.” Holtzmann said.

“You are one of my dearest friends and I’m glad you are hanging out with us again. I know you had to learn a new way of life and you had to change many things. Well, it’s just good to be around you again.” Erin said.

“I’ve been having fun too. I got get some sleep for tomorrow.” The blonde said.

Ten minutes later, Holtzmann was asleep. Erin had gone into the bathroom and changed into sweats and an old MIT shirt. She watched as Holtzmann slept peacefully. She then got into the bed next to Holtzmann which was Jennifer’s. There was a night stand beside it and out of curiosity Erin opened. The first thing she saw was political related books which were probably Jennifer’s. Then she came across a small photo album and looked through it. It was pictures of Jennifer and Holtzmann. She was jealous seeing the happy pictures. She closed the night stand drawer and tried to fall asleep. But, she couldn’t. She wanted to so badly to snuggle with Holtzmann. Eventually, she fell asleep.

The next day, Tina came by and helped Erin get Holtzmann ready for work. After that Erin headed off to the firehouse. Only Patty and Kevin were there.

Patty said, “Hey girl, how are things going at Holtzmann’s?”

“So far, everything is going fine. I’m able to manage her needs and we had a movie night last night.” Erin said.

“You still have a crush on her.” Patty said.

 “I don’t. That was years ago and things are much different now. She’s with Jennifer.” Erin said.

“That still doesn’t mean you stopped crushing on her.”

“Look, I’m just glad she is hanging out with us again. So drop it.”

* * *

 

Five days passed by and the weekend arrived. Erin was looking forward to the slower pace. On Saturday morning, she made breakfast while Holtzmann was still asleep. It was waffles with eggs, bacon, and fruit. She put the food tray on Holtzmann’s bed table and she watched as the blonde slowly awoke.

“That smells good. You didn’t have to do this.” Holtzmann said.

“I just wanted to do something nice to start off this weekend.” Erin said.

“I apologize Erin for not being able to do anything in return for you. Well, I can paint watercolors with a paintbrush in my mouth. Would you like a painting?” The blonde asked with a wink.

Erin loved seeing that wink and asked, “Do you really do watercolors?”

“In rehab, one of the occupational therapists introduced me to it. I’m not really good at it. I’ve seen other quadriplegics who are much better at mouth painting.”

“I would like to see you paint.” Erin said.

“I have a couple of blank canvases and paints in the hallway closet. I’ll wait until this afternoon.”

“Sure, that would be fine.”

Erin started to feed Holtzmann breakfast. Halfway through, there was buzzing sound come from Holtzmann’s iPad Pro which was on her nearby desk.

Holtzmann said, “That’s probably Jennifer wanting to do FaceTime.”

Erin immediately went and got the iPad and set up on the bed table in view of Holtzmann.

She saw Jennifer’s face on the screen with a smile.

Holtzmann said, “Hello, my darling girlfriend.”

“Hey sweetie.” Jennifer replied.

Erin said, “I’m going to go to the kitchen.”

The blonde just nodded and Erin heard the two women starting to converse.

She went into the kitchen and warmed up water in an electric tea kettle and made herself a cup of chamomile tea which always helped with her calm down in certain situations.

Twenty minutes later she headed back to the bedroom after she heard Holtzmann call out for her. Her FaceTime with Jennifer ended and she asked that Erin put away her iPad so she could finish breakfast.

…………………..

It was mid afternoon when Erin was watching Holtzmann painting a small watercolor with a paintbrush in her mouth. She had covered the blonde with an old bed sheet to serve as a smock.

On the canvas, the outline of a sunflower had been painted on. Holtzmann was slowly filling in the petal parts with a tone of light yellow paint. Erin was smiling as she watched the process. After awhile she noticed that Holtzmann seemed to be in neck pain from the painting.

“You should stop for now and then come back later and finish.” Erin suggested.

“I should. It’s been awhile since I have done a painting.”

The bed sheet was removed by Holtzmann and she wiped off some paint from Holtzmann’s neck.

She said to the blonde, “The painting is coming out beautiful.”

“You’re just being nice. It’s not that great.” Holtzmann joked.

“It is and you’re beautiful too.” Erin said.

“So are you Erin. I hope you find someone who sees how beautiful you are.” The blonde said.

Emotion overcame Erin and she moved closed to the blonde and then kissed on her lips. The kiss surprise Holtzmann and she moved her head back away from Erin.

The red head was embarrassed and said, “I’m so sorry.”   
Holtzmann didn’t say anything and just wheeled off to her room.

Later on, Erin went in and said, “Again I’m sorry for earlier. I have to confess I’ve had a crush on you for years even since we met. Then I tried to date Kevin and you ended up with Jennifer.”

Holtzmann said, “You don’t need to apologize. I had the feeling years ago that you had a crush on me. I assume you’re bisexual.”

Erin said, “I do consider myself bi. I had memorable relationships with men in high school and college and I admit I had flings with women during periods when I wasn’t dating men. More recently, I think I’m more attracted to women.”

“I see. Have you considered trying online dating or getting set up on a blind date with a woman?”

Erin shook her head no.

“I think you should. I don’t think anything could work for us. I’m happy with Jennifer.” Holtzmann said.

Erin got close and put her hand on Holtzmann’s cheek and said, “I understand and respect that. Let’s just put this behind us.”

The blonde nodded in agreement. However, mixed feelings were filling up her head.


	6. Chapter VI

Keep On Living Chapter VI

Over the next couple of days, Holtzmann kept thinking about the kiss that Erin gave her. She wasn’t totally offended by the kiss, she did feel that in a way she was betraying Jennifer. After the event, she and Erin focused on other things like designing new weapons for the Ghostbusters.

Jennifer was due to come home in three days. It was a Tuesday morning when Holtzmann started to feel a bit ill. She felt her head and neck getting hot, due to the paralysis she couldn’t feel the temperature of the rest of her body. She powered through it though and taught her morning class and had Erin take her over to the firehouse to go over designs for the weapons. She started to feel a little light headed which Erin and Patty noticed.

Patty said, “Holtzy, are you ok?”

“I’m fine don’t worry.” Holtzmann protested.

Later on, Abby joined the three as they went over the designs. Holtzmann started to feel more ill and was doing her best to downplay the situation. After a couple of hours, she couldn’t do it any longer.

She closed her eyes and started to seize luckily Abby was nearby and called for others to help her. The three women gently got Holtzmann out of her wheelchair and got her on the ground with Erin gently cradling her head.

Erin ran downstairs and saw Holtzmann’s head seizing and her body having muscle spasms. The red head immediately remembered reading some of the spinal cord injury health issue pamphlets and there was mentions of possible autonomic dysreflexia meaning that high blood pressure in a high spinal cord injury patient could bring on other health problems. 

Patty called an ambulance.

Erin said, “Come on, stay with us sweetie.”

The seizing stopped and Holtzmann’s blue eyes opened. Erin and Abby could see a glazed look in them. Holtzmann then started breathing heavily. Abby and Patty started to cry seeing their friend in distress. Erin knew she had to keep it together and stay calm.  
  
Minutes later, the sounds of sirens nearby and then moments later paramedics came in and got Holtzmann into a gurney. They put an oxygen mask on her face and they rushed her out to the ambulance. Erin was allowed to ride in the ambulance to provide health information to the paramedics. She then called Jennifer’s phone to tell her about what was going on.

Over the phone, Jennifer responded, “I’ll leave Washington DC as soon I can.

The ambulance made its way to the hospital. The paramedics updated the ER staff and handed over Holtzmann into their care. Erin went off to a waiting area.

She then broke down crying. Minutes later, Patty and Abby found her and comforted her.

An hour later, a female ER physician came out and said, “Dr. Holtzmann suffered an autonomic dysreflexia attack which caused the seizure. Her blood pressure was quite high and she has a fever. We have started her on medications to bring down her blood pressure and the fever. She will be here for a couple of days so we can monitor the situation. I spoke just a few minutes ago to Dr. Holtzmann’s domestic partner Miss Lynch and she gave the ok for all of you to see the patient.”

Abby said, “Thank you Dr. When can we see her?”

“In about 20 minutes, the staff needs to get her situated. We have given her some medication to put her to sleep for awhile. She might wake up in a few hours.”

Erin was grateful that Jennifer gave permission for the group to see Holtzmann. She had known that Holtzmann and Jennifer had filed domestic partnership paperwork a few years before. It was done mainly so Jennifer could make decisions in emergencies.

* * *

 

The three Ghostbusters entered Holtzmann’s hospital room. Her blonde hair had been tied into a ponytail. She was pale and the sound of heart monitors were beeping in the room. She was receiving oxygen via canulas in her nostrils. A cold compress was on her forehead and several IVs were attached her hands.

Patty said to the sleeping Holtzmann, “Girl, you gave such a scare. I’m going to find a way to get even with you.”

The others laughed.

Abby got to close to Holtzmann’s side and put her hand on the ill woman’s cheek and said, “I hope we didn’t give you any stress and are to blame for this.”

Patty said, “Abby don’t be crazy. We can’t be blamed for this. Holtzmann’s spinal cord injury has permanent effects.”

Erin stayed silent and she wondered if the blonde had been dealing with stress since the kiss. She felt guilty.

An hour later, they received a text from Jennifer saying that her she was on plane from Washington DC to NYC. The flight wouldn’t be too long.

Erin decided to stay with Holtzmann as Patty and Abby went back to the firehouse.

She read science articles from her iPhone to the sleeping Holtzmann. At one point, she noticed the blonde’s eyes fluttering. After a few minutes, Holtzmann woke up.

Erin said, “Hey there, it’s ok you’re in the hospital.”

Holtzmann muttered out, “Let me guess an AD attack.”

The redhead nodded and said, “You had a seizure too.”

“I’ll be ok. The last one was two years ago and it was brought on by a skin sore. I know this time it isn’t bad. Did you call Jennifer?”

Erin said, “I did. She should be here soon.”

“She is probably freaking out.” Holtzmann said.

“She loves you and probably worries all the time. You are a very lucky woman.”

“I am. Sometimes I feel bad for being such a burden on her.”

“Don’t think like that.” Erin said.

Holtzmann started to cry and Erin wiped the tears and said, “Calm down.”

The blonde then said with pleading eyes, “Hold me?”

Erin then carefully got into the hospital bed and put Holtzmann in her arms. Both had tears in their eyes. Holtzmann stopped crying and then there was a buzz on Erin’s phone. The text was from Jennifer saying that she landed and already an Uber driver arranged to pick her up from the airport and drive her to the hospital. The redhead told Holtzmann and got out of bed.

A doctor and nurse came into check on Holtzmann. They gave Erin an ok to give the blonde some Sprite to help with the fever. She then gave Holtzmann the Sprite through a straw in a cup. It was forty minutes later when Jennifer came rushing into the room.

“Jillian, I’m so glad you’re ok.” The brunette said.

Holtzmann weakly smiled and said, “Don’t make such a fuss Jenn.”

“I can’t help sweetie. These AD attacks can get really bad. I just worry.” Jennifer said she stroked some of Holtzmann’s hair.

She then broke down crying as she took a seat by Holtzmann’s bedside.

The blonde said, “Come on, Jennifer don’t make this worse than it already is. Things are fine. I’ll be out of here in a couple of days.”

Erin then said, “About you and I go get some coffee.”

Jennifer then looked towards Holtzmann and the blonde said, “Go on, you need some time to calm down.”

The brunette then followed Erin out of the room. They found one of the hospital coffee shops open. They made the orders and took their seats.

Jennifer said, “I hope this incident didn’t shake you up too much. It’s happened before and it’s always scary.”

“It was tough to see what Holtzmann went through. I had read about the health issues, I guess I just didn’t think it would happen while she was under my watch.” Erin said.

“I always try to be positive with this situation. It gets tough sometimes knowing that Jillian is now prone to certain health issues more than someone without a spinal cord injury. We will be ok in a few days as usual. I just hope this doesn’t happen again for awhile.” Jennifer said.

“It must be hard for you to deal with all this.”

“It is. But, we have come to know it as a way of life. We have talked about marriage and we got the domestic partnership as alternative. I’m now considering asking Jillian to marry me and that we will have more rights as an officially married couple instead as non-married domestic partners. Jennifer said.

Erin’s heart sank a bit when she heard the “M” word. She also felt guilt about kissing another woman’s girlfriend especially since Jennifer had been doing a lot for Holtzmann over the past few years. Jennifer had been the blonde’s side for other health scare incidents.

The red head took a few sips of her coffee and then said, “I think you two marrying would be good.” She was lying, of course.

“I think I’ll wait awhile to ask her. I need to let things with her health get more stable. Then I need to talk with her family. “ Jennifer said.

“Maybe you should make it special and propose to her for Christmas.” Erin suggested.

“Not a bad idea.” Jennifer said with smile.

Guilt and envy formed inside Erin.

“We should go back to Holtzmann’s room.” Erin suggested.

Jennifer agreed. The two women got their drinks and headed back to the room.

The brunette sat on the edge of the hospital bed and said, “Are you feeling better sweetie?”

“My forehead doesn’t feel so hot anymore.” The blonde said.

Erin said, “I’m going to head home. I’ll be back tomorrow with Abby and Patty to visit.”

“That will be great” Holtzmann said.

Jennifer smiled and said, “Erin thank you for all the help.”

She then got up from the bed and hugged Erin.

The redhead felt uncomfortable with the hug but gave a small smile before saying “bye” and leaving the room.


	7. Chapter 7

Keep Living On Chapter VII

It was 9 am the next morning when Holtzmann awoke in her hospital room. She still wasn’t feeling that well.

“Good morning Jillian” was what she heard right away.

She then saw Jennifer sitting in the chair by her bedside. The brunette was dressed in a very casual manner in jeans and a simple dark blue v-neck shirt. Holtzmann loved seeing the more casually dressed Jennifer instead of the political suit type.

Holtzmann smiled at her girlfriend and said, “Did you go home?”

“I slept here and then went home at 6 to take a shower and change clothes.” Jennifer said before taking a sip from a paper coffee cup.

“I’m sorry your work trip got cut short. I hope you’re not in trouble with the City.” Holtzmann said.

Jennifer got up from the bedside chair and got closer to the bed and said, “Everyone is understanding and besides I brought my work laptop and phone so I could some work from here. I called administration at Columbia and told about your situation, your TAs are taking care of the classes with your lesson plans.”

“I hate when I miss classes it doesn’t feel fair to the students.” Holtzmann said.

“Jillian, the administration knows that you are dedicated professor and they also want you to be in good health. Let’s just focus on you getting better over the next few days. The Ghostbusters are bringing over your wheelchair in awhile. If you’re feeling up to being out of bed we can go for a stroll around the hospital.”

Holtzmann smiled at the thought of being out of bed.

* * *

 

It was two hours later when Patty, Abby, and Erin pulled into the hospital parking garage in the adaptive van that Jennifer and Holtzmann used. Earlier in the morning, Jennifer dropped off the spare keys at the firehouse and the Ghostbuster trio took a cab to the apartment building where Holtzmann and Jennifer lived to pick up the van. They went back to the firehouse and carefully loaded the sip and puff wheelchair.

During the drive to the hospital Erin was filled with mixed emotions. She was happy that Holtzmann’s current health situation wasn’t that bad, but there were the lingering feelings for her. After unloading the wheelchair, three used the manual controls to push into the hospital and into the elevator system to Holtzmann’s room.

When they arrived in the room they met with the sight of Jennifer lying next to Holtzmann. The two were looking at something on iPad. Erin immediately wished it was her in bed next to Holtzmann. She also remembered how the night before an emotional Holtzmann asked to hold her. It had been heartbreaking for the redhead to see the woman she loved in physical distress. 

Holtzmann said in regards to her wheelchair, “It’s so good to see my beloved method of mobility again.”

Abby said, “We charged the battery overnight.”

“Ah good. I’ll be getting out of this bed later on.”

Patty and Abby asked Holtzmann how she was feeling. A few minutes later, Jennifer got up from the bed and headed out of the room with her iPhone in hand. Erin figured Jennifer was taking care of work related business. The redhead was relieved to see that Holtzmann’s appearance was slightly better. She wasn’t too pale and she wasn’t on oxygen.

Twenty minutes later, Kevin arrived to visit Holtzmann. Earlier in the morning, Patty assigned Kevin with the task of getting a bouquet of flowers and a Get Well Soon balloon. She was relieved that Kevin got the correct type of balloon. Holtzmann smiled at the flowers and balloon and thanked the gorp.

Jennifer eventually came into the room and said that she was going to be out taking a couple of more business calls. She thanked the group for keeping her girlfriend company.

Patty said, “I hope that once you feel better, you won’t stop doing consulting work with us.”

“I won’t. The past few weeks have been great reconnecting with all of you. This is just a minor set back and I’ve been through this before. Towards the end of the semester I’ll probably have to focus more on teaching finishing up the semester. But I’ll never completely leave you all like I did before.” Holtzmann said.

Erin was relieved to hear that to a certain extent. She was thankful for the re-connection, but was still haunted by desire to want to be with the blonde engineer.

Later on, two nurses come in with a hoyer lift and got Holtzmann into her wheelchair. They covered her legs with a blanket and put slippers on her feet. Patty, Erin, and Abby followed her around of the hospital before they met up with Jennifer at a coffee shop. Jennifer had ordered Holtzmann’s favorite coffee drink and was giving her sips.

Abby asked the brunette, “So Jennifer how is business going on at City Hall?”

“Hectic as usual. The last part of the year gets crazy trying to tie up loose ends before the new coming year. The mayor is still grateful to you all for what you to do to fight the paranormal. I’m thinking of taking vacation in December maybe take Jillian here to visit some of my relatives down in Florida.” Jennifer responded.

Holtzmann blushed and said, “But I love New York Christmases.”

“I do too sweetie. It’s just it would be nice to be in warm weather for the holidays.” Jennifer teased before kissing Holtzmann on the forehead.

Erin had remembered the conversation the night before when Jennifer said she thought about proposing marriage to Holtzmann. She wondered if the brunette was hoping to use the Florida trip to propose.

 


	8. Chapter VIII

Keep On Living Chapter VIII

The next day Holtzmann was released from the hospital and was taken home by Jennifer. She was happy to be home as she disliked being in hospitals. Her blood pressure medications were adjusted. Upon arriving home, she went into her office and checked emails on her voice activated desktop. She called her TAs and told them that she planned to be back at the work the following Monday. Around 1 pm, Jennifer called out to her to come and eat lunch. She smiled as she knew that Jennifer often prepared good food. She found that Jennifer had made chicken alfredo and salad. The two chatted over lunch. The brunette was going to be home the rest of week working from there and keeping watch over Holtzmann.

“This lunch was wonderful.” Holtzmann said after she swallowed the last bite of food.

“You deserve a good meal after being in the hospital. I was thinking of inviting your friends over tomorrow, I feel that I owe them for taking care of you.” Jennifer said.

“I’m sure they would appreciate it. But, maybe we could wait to have them over.” Holtzmman suggested.

“I guess we could wait until Monday night.”Jennifer said.

Holtzmann nodded in agreement. She wanted to have some alone time with Jennifer over the next few days. The blonde still wondered about Erin’s feelings for her. She felt bad for Erin in a way because she was in a relationship with Jennifer and she knew Erin wanted to be in Jennifer’s place.

 

* * *

 

Erin was in her apartment, her desktop clock read 10:55 pm. She was on her laptop looking at same sex dating sites and was looking at members in the NYC area. She left a few messages for women. She shut off her laptop and laid in bed thinking of Holtzmann and wishing she could be with her. The redhead was trying to get herself to accept that the blonde couldn’t be her girlfriend. She began to feel very sleepy and shut off her laptop and went to bed minutes later. Flashbacks to Holtzmann’s seizure filled her head before she finally drifted off to sleep.

In the morning, she awoke at 7am and ate a light breakfast. She opened up her laptop and found a private message from another member of the same sex dating site. The woman who sent the message was named Tara she was 38 and lived in Queens and worked at an accounting firm. She had dark brown hair, green eyes, and olive complexion. Tara wanted to meet for coffee the next day.

After showering and doing her hair, Erin headed to the firehouse. Kevin wasn’t there, but she found Abby working alone on the weapons.

“Good morning, how long have you been here?” Erin asked.

“I woke up around 3 am and couldn’t fall back to sleep. So, I decided to come in at 5 am to get a head start on my day. Let’s have coffee.” Abby said.

“Sure.” Erin said.

The two went into the small kitchen and Abby set up the coffeemaker to brew a pot.

 “I called to Holtzmann’s apartment last night and chatted with her. She sounded better and she told me that she and Jennifer want to invite us over for dinner on Monday night. I said yes and told her that I would tell you and Patty about it.” Abby said as glanced towards the coffeemaker.

“Uh, dinner at Holtzmann and Jennifer’s. I’m not sure if I want to go there.” Erin said she picked a mug from a counter.

“I thought you were trying to get over your crush on Holtzmann.” Abby said.

“I tried. I kissed her on Saturday. Well I had confessed to having a crush on her and then there was the kiss. I felt so horrible for it. She told me that she was happy with Jennifer and I want her to be happy too. Anyway, last night I searched through a dating site and left some messages with women in the city and I got a reply from a woman who wants to meet with coffee.”

“Did you respond to her?”

Erin nodded looking down and then said, “I’m going to try dating people, in hopes of getting my mind off Holtzmann. It’s probably not going to be easy.”

Abby got close to Erin and put her arm on her shoulder, “Erin, I’m sorry about what’s going on with you. Trying to move on from something or someone is always tough. Just know that I’m here for you. We’ve helped each other through heartbreak before.”

The redhead didn’t say anything and just hugged her best friend.

* * *

 

The next day, Erin was in front of coffee on the Upper West Side. She kept looking from side to side to passing people and then saw Tara walking from a distance. She was prettier in person and had a nice smile.

“Be positive” Erin kept thinking to herself.

Tara finally approached her and said, “Hi Erin” and stuck out her hand.

Erin shook her hand and then the two headed in and made their orders to a barista.

At the table, Tara mentioned how she recognized Erin as a Ghosbuster.

“I hope you’re not feeling to pressured by meeting with someone like me.” Erin said.

“I was. I’ve seen you and the others on the news in the papers. You all sound like some very tough women.” Tara said.

“We just do our best. Our jobs aren’t always pretty.” Erin said.

Tara then nervously said, “Can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“I have a niece and nephew who are Ghostbusters fans and I was wondering if I could get your autograph for them. If you don’t want to. It’s ok.”

Erin smiled and said, “Kids ask for our autographs all the time. I really don’t mind. ”

She then reached into her purse and grabbed a notepad that the Ghostbusters logo on the sheets. In the past, she had use sheets from that note pad to write autographs on for kids and adults.

“What is your niece’s name?”

“Lisa and my nephew’s name is Greg.” Tara said.

Erin signed two sheets of paper, each personalized and then handed them to Tara.

Tara smiled and said, “Thank you for this. They will love it.”

The two women talked about their careers. Tara had been an accountant for 15 years and jogged, played sports, and did art work in her spare time. Erin, of course spent a lot of time explaining how she ended up being Ghostbuster.

At the end of the coffee date, the two women walked outside.

Erin said, “Would you like to go out for dinner sometime soon?”

“Yes. I would.” Tara said.

Erin was glad that the coffee date was a success.


End file.
